WHY HAVE JEWISH PEOPLE BEEN SO HATED AND PERSECUTED THROUGH THE CENTURIES? ANTI-SEMITISM WILL ONLY END AND FINALLY END IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM
“And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” Zechariah 12:9
[“What then is the explanation for anti-Semitism in the world? It is simply this: God has singled out the Jewish people as His instrument for world redemption, He has promised that they will always remain on the earth as a distinct people—despite their sins and failures—and the devil himself has marked them out for destruction. Ultimately, it is through the Jewish people that the knowledge of the one true God has come to the world, through the Jewish people that the Messiah has come, and through the Jewish people that the message of the Messiah went to the nations. (Romans 9:1-5) And it is the Jewish people in Jerusalem who will ultimately welcome the Messiah back to earth to set up His kingdom (see Matthew 23:37-39). That’s why the devil hates them so! As I wrote in Our Hands Are Stained with Blood (i.e., the hands of the church are stained with the blood of the Jews it persecuted/killed): Why does Satan so passionately despise the Jews? For one thing, it is a reflection of his hatred for God. The Jews are God’s chosen people! By hurting them he seeks to hurt the Lord and take revenge for his own sentence of death. His effort to annihilate the Jews is also an attempt to discredit the Lord, since He has sworn in His Word that they will never be destroyed. If Israel ceases to exist as a distinct people, then God did not, or could not, keep His promise. That would mean that He was either powerless or that He lied! But there is another reason the devil despises the Jews: The salvation of Israel means the return of Jesus, the resurrection of the righteous, the revival of the Church and the restoration of the earth. (Romans 11:15) The fulfillment of the Jews’ destiny will seal the devil’s doom. Yes, “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom. 16:20) . . . and he is beginning to squirm! The time to favor Israel is upon us and Satan is quaking with fear. The countdown has begun. Understanding, then, that anti-Semitism is ultimately a spiritual phenomenon rather than a cultural, ethnic or even religious phenomenon, we can also understand that anti-Semitism has to do with God and His purposes rather than with the Jewish people themselves. That is to say, it is not because the Jews are better or worse than anyone else; it is because God chose the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to bring redemption to the world, the Messiah Himself being a Jew. In that light, it will be a bad day for anti-Semites when they realize that the all-powerful King coming in flaming fire is a glorified Jew.” Dr. Michael Brown http://www.voiceofrevolution.com/2009/02/11/why-have-jewish-people-been-so-hated-and-persecuted-through-the-centuries/]
Christianity and anti-Semitism deals with the hostility of Christian Churches, Christian groups, and by Christians in general to Judaism and the Jewish people. Christian rhetoric and antipathy towards Jews developed in the early years of Christianity and was reinforced by ever increasing anti-Jewish measures over the ensuing centuries. The action taken by Christians against Jews included acts of violence, and murder culminating in the Holocaust. Christian anti-Semitism has been attributed to numerous factors including theological differences (e.g., Replacement theology; explained later in this doc.), competition between Church and Synagogue, the Christian drive for converts, decreed by the Great Commission, misunderstanding of Jewish beliefs and practices, and a perceived Jewish hostility toward Christians. These attitudes were reinforced in Christian preaching, art and popular teaching for two millennia, containing contempt for Jews, as well as statutes which were designed to humiliate and stigmatize Jews. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianityandantisemitism2
Modern anti-Semitism has been described as primarily hatred against Jews as a race with its modern expression rooted in 18th century racial theories, while anti-Judaism is described as hostility to Jewish religion, but in Western Christianity it effectively merged into anti-Semitism during the 12th century. Scholars have debated how Christian anti-Semitism played a role in the Nazi Third Reich, World War II and the Holocaust. The Holocaust has driven many within Christianity to reflect on the relationship between Christian theology, practices, and that genocide.
The following is a comprehensive list of anti-Semitism by Christians from which I have copied some examples. You can read the entire list at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_antisemitism#Antiquity
325 A.D.
First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. The Christian Church separates the calculation of the date of Easter from the Jewish Passover: “It was … declared improper to follow the custom of the Jews in the celebration of this holy festival, because, their hands having been stained with crime, the minds of these wretched men are necessarily blinded…. Let us, then, have nothing in common with the Jews, who are our adversaries. … avoiding all contact with that evil way. … who, after having compassed the death of the Lord, being out of their minds, are guided not by sound reason, but by an unrestrained passion, wherever their innate madness carries them. … a people so utterly depraved. … Therefore, this irregularity must be corrected, in order that we may no more have any thing in common with those parricides and the murderers of our Lord. … no single point in common with the perjury of the Jews.”
418
The first record of Jews being forced to convert or face expulsion. Severus, the Bishop of Minorca, claimed to have forced 540 Jews to accept Christianity upon conquering the island. Synagogue in Magona, now Port Mahon capital of Minorca, burnt.
529–559
Byzantine Emperor Justinian the Great publishes Corpus Juris Civilis. New laws restrict citizenship to Christians. These regulations determined the status of Jews throughout the Empire for hundreds of years: Jewish civil rights restricted: “they shall enjoy no honors”. The principle of Servitus Judaeorum (Servitude of the Jews) is established: the Jews cannot testify against Christians. The emperor becomes an arbiter in internal Jewish matters. The use of the Hebrew language in worship is forbidden. Shema Yisrael (“Hear, O Israel, the Lord is one”), sometimes considered the most important prayer in Judaism, is banned as a denial of the Trinity. Some Jewish communities are converted by force, their synagogues turned into churches.
629 March 21
Byzantine Emperor Heraclius with his army marches into Jerusalem. Jewish inhabitants support him after his promise of amnesty. Upon his entry into Jerusalem the local priests convince him that killing Jews is a good deed. Hundreds of Jews are massacred, thousands flee to Egypt.
1096
The First Crusade. Three hosts of crusaders pass through several Central European cities. The third, unofficial host, led by Count Emicho, decides to attack the Jewish communities, most notably in the Rhineland, under the slogan: “Why fight Christ’s 3
enemies abroad when they are living among us?” Emicho’s host attacks the synagogue at Speyer and kills all the defenders. 800 are killed in Worms. Another 1,200 Jews commit suicide in Mainz to escape his attempt to forcibly convert them; see German Crusade, 1096. Attempts by the local bishops remained fruitless. All in all, 5,000 Jews were murdered.
1236
Crusaders attack Jewish communities of Anjou and Poitou and attempt to baptize all the Jews. Those who resisted (est. 3,000) were slaughtered.
1348
European Jews are blamed for the plague in the Black Death persecutions. Charge laid to the Jews that they poisoned the wells. Massacres spread throughout Spain, France, Germany and Austria. More than 200 Jewish communities destroyed by violence. Many communities have been expelled and settle down in Poland. Strasbourg massacre.
1492 March 31
Ferdinand II and Isabella issue General Edict on the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain: approx. 200,000. Some return to the Land of Israel. As many localities and entire countries expel their Jewish citizens (after robbing them), and others deny them entrance, the legend of the Wandering Jew, a condemned harbinger of calamity, gains popularity.
1543
In his pamphlet On the Jews and Their Lies Martin Luther advocates an eight-point plan to get rid of the Jews as a distinct group either by religious conversion or by expulsion:
“…set fire to their synagogues or schools…”
“…their houses also be razed and destroyed…”
“…their prayer books and Talmudic writings… be taken from them…”
“…their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb…”
“…safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews…”
“…usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them…” and “Such money should now be used in … the following [way]… Whenever a Jew is sincerely converted, he should be handed [certain amount]…”
“…young, strong Jews and Jewesses [should]… earn their bread in the sweat of their brow…”
“If we wish to wash our hands of the Jews’ blasphemy and not share in their guilt, we have to part company with them. They must be driven from our country” and “we must drive them out like mad dogs.”
Luther “got the Jews expelled from Saxony in 1537, and in the 1540s he drove them from many German towns; he tried unsuccessfully to get the elector to expel them from Brandenburg in 1543. His followers continued to agitate against the Jews there: they sacked the Berlin synagogue in 1572 and the following year finally got their way, the Jews being banned from the entire country.”[19] (See also Martin Luther and the Jews)
1615
King Louis XIII of France decrees that all Jews must leave the country within one month on pain of death. 4
1727
Edict of Catherine I of Russia: “The Jews… who are found in Ukraine and in other Russian provinces are to be expelled at once beyond the frontiers of Russia.”
1881–1884
Pogroms sweep southern Russia, propelling mass Jewish emigration from the Pale of Settlement: about 2 million Russian Jews emigrated in period 1880–1924, many of them to the United States (until the National Origins Quota of 1924 and Immigration Act of 1924 largely halted immigration to the U.S. from Eastern Europe and Russia). The Russian word “pogrom” becomes international.
1933–1941
Persecution of Jews in Germany rises until they are stripped of their rights not only as citizens, but also as human beings. During this time anti-Semitism reached its all-time high.
Law against Overcrowding of German Schools and Universities
Law for the Reestablishment of the Professional Civil Service (ban on professions)
The Reich Flight Tax is used to expropriate funds from Jewish émigrés.
1939–1945
The Holocaust. About 6 million Jews, including about 1 million children, systematically killed by Nazi Germany and other Axis powers.
2005 December
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad widens the hostility between Iran and Israel by denying the Holocaust during a speech in the Iranian city of Zahedan. He made the following comments on live television: “They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets.” Continuing, he suggested that if the Holocaust had occurred, that it was the responsibility of Europeans to offer up territory to Jews: “This is our proposal: give a part of your own land in Europe, the United States, Canada or Alaska to them [the Jews] so that the Jews can establish their country.” See Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel
March 30, 2015 – New York, NY, The Anti-Defamation League – http://www.adl.org/press-center/press-releases/anti-semitism-usa/adl-audit-in-2014-anti-semitic-inicidents.html#.VTPpzZOgsQo The total number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States increased by 21 percent in 2014 in a year marked by a violent anti-Semitic shooting attack targeting Jewish community buildings in Kansas and anti-Jewish expressions linked to the war in Gaza.
The end of anti-Semitism: “Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.” (Zechariah 14:1-3, 12:9) Zechariah 14 covers the battle of Armageddon, the second coming of Christ, and the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. This is when anti-Semitism will end forever and the Jewish people and the nation of Israel will go from being a despised and persecuted people and nation to become the chief among all nations: Isaiah 2:2 “Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.” Zechariah 8:22-23: “So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.’ 23 Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘In those days ten (Gentile) men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
As we see anti-Semitism on the rise not only in the Mideast but across Europe and even in our own nation (http://archive.adl.org/presrele/asus_12/6154_12.html#.VS2xl9m9Kc0) and especially under the Obama administration we must understand, as Dr. Brown so aptly stated above, that the seed of anti-Semitism is Satanic because Satan wants to thwart God’s plan for the nation of Israel to receive Jesus (individually and as a nation). Jesus said, “For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’” (Matthew 23:39) Here Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders that represent the nation of Israel which has rejected Him as their King and Messiah and stating that His second coming will not occur until they (Israel as a nation) receive Him as their Savior and King. And the prophets spoke of their repentance and acceptance of King Jesus in Zechariah and many other Old Testament passages: “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10) “And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” (Zechariah 13:9) Thus Satan, knowing God’s plan to bless and save the world through the Jewish nation (which brought forth Jesus, the Savior of the world) has attempted to destroy the Jews and the nation of Israel. Evil nations from Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medes and Persians, Rome went far beyond God’s plan for divine discipline of Israel (See Deuteronomy 28:15-68; “To whom much is given (e.g., Israel), much is required.” Luke 12:48) for their idolatry and rejection of Him. (See God’s anger at Israel’s enemies in Zechariah 1:14-15; Isaiah 10:5, 47:6.) Satan tried to kill Moses as a baby he tried to eliminate the Messianic line through evil Athaliah daughter of Jezebel (2 Kings 11). He tried to destroy all the Jews through Haman when Persia ruled the world. He tried to kill Jesus as a baby and then entered Judas at the Passover meal to hand Jesus over to the religious authorities to be crucified. He inspired Hitler to destroy the Jews in recent history and now the rise of Islam and especially Iran to wipe Israel off the map. And as we have seen, Satan has deceived many Christians for centuries, even until today, to believe that God is through with the nation of Israel and that all of the Scriptures that literally foretell of a restored kingdom for Israel are interpreted allegorically to refer to “spiritual Israel” the church. [*See comment below on Galatians 6:16 – “the Israel of God.”] This is another deception of Satan to attempt to deceive God’s people to thwart His plan for Israel in the last days. God says, “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. “Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.” (Joel 3:2) Thus it is important for us as individual believers in Christ to know and believe and stand with God’s plan for Israel. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” (Psalm 122:6) God speaking of Israel: “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3). Those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed. And even though many Christians would say they are not anti-Semitic, some believers have, at least, an indifference toward the Jews and the nation of Israel.
[*16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:16) The NIV errs in translating it “even to the Israel of God” rather than “and upon the Israel of God” as in the NASB. While some believe that “Israel of God” is the church, the evidence does not support such a conclusion. First, the repetition of the preposition (“upon” or “to”) indicates two groups are in view. Second, all the 65 other occurrences of the term “Israel” in the New Testament refer to Jews. It would thus be strange for Paul to use “Israel” here to mean Gentile Christians. Third, Paul elsewhere referred to two kinds of Israelites—believing Jews and unbelieving Jews (cf. Romans 9:6-note). Lest it be thought that Paul is anti-Semitic, he demonstrated by means of this benediction his deep love and concern for true Israel, that is, Jews who had come to Christ. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor – Vol 2 Page 611 or Logos) (Bolding added) http://www.preceptaustin.org/the_israel_of_god.htm]
12 Reasons Why Every Christian Should Stand With Israel http://www.israelspropheticfuture.org/12reasonswhyeverychristianshouldstandwithisrael.pdf
[“1. The Bible Is Filled With Israel – All Bible believing people should stand with Israel. The Bible introduces The God of Israel and 2/3rds of the scriptures are dedicated to the people of Israel, their history and their destiny.
2. Christians Have A Common Destiny With Israel – Our ultimate destiny is the manifest Kingdom of God in which Jesus rules from the throne of David in Jerusalem. If we truly believe the Bible we must inevitably believe in the future good of Israel. Isaiah 2:2 “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. 3Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; he will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. ” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (NKJ) Micah 4:1-2 “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (KJV)
3. Because Israel Is A Unique And Special Nation To God – Exodus 19:5 ‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a (peculiar) special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. (NKJ) Deuteronomy 14:2 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a (peculiar) special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” (NKJ)
Psalm 135:4 “For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.” (KJV)
4. Christians Also Are A Peculiar Treasure To God Titus 2:14 “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (KJV) 1 Pet 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (KJV) Both Israel and the church are therefore said to be “a peculiar treasure to God.” This fact surely forges a link between the two.
5. Because God Says He Will Bless Those Who Bless Them. Genesis 12:3: “I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee, and in thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Isaiah 60:12: “For the nation that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined.” Throughout human history many mighty world kingdoms have fallen and disintegrated e.g., Egypt, Persia, Rome, Greece, Spain, Germany, Britain. In every instance there have been factors of anti Semitism inbred in the system and this has brought about their downfall in accordance with the Bible principle.
6. Because We Owe Them A Debt For What We Have Received Through Them – Through Israel the promises and covenants were given. Through them came the law, the prophets and the Messiah Jesus, who has opened up access to God for all. Through the Jewish apostles the gospel first went to the nations. To the Israelites “pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God and the promises, of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all.” (Romans 9:4-5). “For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also be of service to them in their material blessings” (Romans 15:27)
7. Because God’s Gifts and Call On Them Have Never Been Revoked- Romans 11:28: “As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for our sake; but as regards the election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and call of God are irrevocable.” Though most Jews have not yet responded to the gospel, this has not invalidated God’s plan for them, which He will ultimately fulfill. The covenant with Abraham has not been replaced by the New Covenant, nor been set aside because of their failure to enter the New Covenant. Though the once for all sacrifice of Jesus has fulfilled and replaced the Temple sacrifices, the eternal covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants has NOT been set aside. “A hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved.” (Rom 11:26)
8. Because God Has Promised To Bring Them Back To Their Land. God has promised to turn, again to the Jewish people, to bring them back to their land and to cleanse them from unrighteousness. “I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; l will plant them upon their land and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land which I have given them ‘ says the Lord your God.‟(Amos 9:14-15) “I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all sides and bring them to their own land; and I will make them one nation (versus a divided kingdom) in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all.” (Ezekiel 37:21-22) The re-gathering of Israel is prophesied in Ezekiel, Isaiah, Deuteronomy, Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah, by Jesus in Luke 21:24, and by Paul in Romans 11. It is a key condition to the full flowering of the Messianic age. God promised Abraham and his descendants the land of Israel as an everlasting possession. He confirmed that promise with Isaac as recorded in Genesis 26:34 and again with Jacob in Genesis 35:12.
9. Because The Times Of The Gentiles Are Fulfilled (*See different view and my view of when this will happen.) – “Jerusalem will be trodden down underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24) Jesus foresaw that the Roman Gentile armies would overthrow every vestige of Jewish rule in Jerusalem; but He also saw that that Gentile domination of Jerusalem would come to an end. In 70 AD Jerusalem fell to the Roman army. In 1967, in the course of defending themselves against an attack from their Arab neighbors, the Israelis regained control of the entire City of Jerusalem for the first time since 70 A D. thus fulfilling this prophecy of Jesus. All believers in the words of Jesus should know that the ending of Gentile control of the city is God’s plan. “When you see these things happen look up your redemption draws nigh.” (Luke 21:28) *[“When Jesus comes back to earth, destroys the Antichrist, and establishes His kingdom, the times of the Gentiles will be completed, and all of Israel that has survived the great tribulation will turn to Jesus when He descends onto the Mount of Olives. Jerusalem is the most disputed piece of real estate on earth today. The nation of Israel is now reborn after almost 2,000 years of exile. A peace treaty that will settle the control of the Temple Mount is being crafted by representatives of the world community. All of these factors speak loud and clear to us. The times of the Gentiles are almost over and the second coming of our Lord and Savior is very near! Come quickly Lord Jesus!”
10. Because We Are To “Comfort God’s People” In Isaiah, God says “Comfort, comfort My people says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isaiah 40:1-2) This is a call to Christians to comfort the Jewish people. Isaiah also envisions that the leaders of the nations would help the Jewish people and nurture them in their re-gathering. ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. Kings shall be your foster fathers and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you and lick the dust off your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 49:22-23) God says that the Gentiles will nurture the Jewish people and assist them in their reentry to their land. It is our divine mandate to help them for their own sakes and for the fulfillment of their unique call. Gentile believers must do more than observe what God is doing with the Jewish people…God is asking us to get involved in helping them!
11. Because We Need To Make Reparation For Anti-Semitic Teachings And Actions Throughout the history of the Church, since the second century, Christian leaders have been guilty of the most vicious anti-Semitic remarks. These remarks have provided the basis for despots throughout the centuries to this day to ridicule, discriminate, and even kill the Jewish people. Often those who claimed to be followers of the Messiah (Rescuer of Israel, and the One who has taught us how to love and forgive) have perpetrated these actions. Can we blame the Jews for so often resisting a Messiah whose followers were anti-Semitic? In justice as well as in charity we need to make reparation for the tragic record of Christianity (both in its Catholic & in its Protestant forms) in its dealings with the Jewish people. We who should have been their nurturers; have so often been their enemies and tormentors. The spirit of anti-Semitism did not begin or end with Adolf Hitler but can find a landing ground on Christians who have not been awakened to their responsibility towards Israel. The heretical teaching that the Church has replaced Israel has been taught since the second century. This teaching is faithful neither to the Old Testament nor New Testament Scriptures. Though most nations and churches denounce anti-Semitism today, anti-Zionism is still widely acceptable. It is the new anti-Semitism. Opposition to Israel’s right to fulfill their God given destiny in the land of promise is the most dangerous form of anti-Semitism today.
12. Because God Is Working With Them To Work Out His Plan For World Peace – Romans 11:15: “For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?” The Messiah is coming back to Israel to be reconciled with His own people. He will reign from there with His overcoming saints ‘from every tribe and tongue and people and nation’ over all the nations. (Rev. 7:9; 11:15) Isaiah 2:3 ‘For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” World peace is coming. The fullness of the Messianic age is coming. But first there will be the destruction of all systems and kingdoms that ignore God’s Messianic plan. If you want world peace, pray and help the Jewish people. If you want to see the Church restored, pray for and help the Jewish people: If you want to see the Messiah return, pray for the restoration of Israel .If you want to see your nation and all the nations (including the Arab nations) blessed, pray and work for it to stand with Israel and the Jewish people, and resist anti-Semitism. If you want your own life to be blessed, help and bless the Jewish people. If you want your life to prosper, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Seven Practical Things Believers Can Do To Help Israel
1. Study and understand what the Bible has to say about God’s plan for Israel and the Jewish people.
2. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for God’s purposes for the Jewish people. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper that love you.” (Psalm 122.6).
3. Teach your church to stand with Israel. Organize a pro-Israel event or seminar in your church or city each year to encourage biblical solidarity with God’s plan for the Jewish people and Israel. This will bring a blessing on your church and city.
4. Support (financially and otherwise) Christian agencies that help the Jewish people return to Israel and settle in their land. E.g. The International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem; Christian Friends Of Israel; Bridges For Peace Jerusalem, etc.
5. Share the Messiah with the Jewish people in the context of their own faith, destiny, and scriptures.
6. Refuse to support anti-Semitic sentiments in public and social life. Where appropriate speak out as the Spirit leads in wise and loving ways, e.g., notify politicians and/or media of your views.
7. Visit Israel if possible. This is a practical way to learn about the people and support them and their economy. “Walk about Zion and go all around her. Count her towers mark well her bulwarks. Consider her palaces that you may tell it to the generations following.” (Psalm 48:13) In this time of international travel should we not all consider making Jerusalem our destination of choice?”]
The view I present in this document of the millennial kingdom is called premillennialism; there are primarily two other views; 1) amillennialism- which says that we are now presently in the millennial kingdom (thus Satan is bound and can’t deceive people- Revelation 20:3) and that the next program of God is the eternal state or heaven as seen in Revelation 21 and 22. 2) postmillennialism – this view states that the church will bring in the millennial kingdom before Christ returns; that the church will “Christianize” the world in every sphere, such as government, education, business, etc. The view I present here, premillennialism, uses a literal, grammatical interpretation of all Scriptures both in the Old Testament and New Testament especially related to God’s plan for the nation of Israel. (Note: If we use an allegorical interpretation of Scripture versus a grammatical-historical-literal-contextual interpretation of Scripture, consistently applied, i.e., a single hermeneutic as it relates to the nation of Israel and the church, where do we draw the line on interpreting other Scriptures allegorically?) In other words, the major distinction between these three views is that only premillennialism allows for an end time plan where God will meet all the promises He made to the nation of Israel literally, physically on the earth. This thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth is followed by the eternal state. Scripturally we go from Revelation 20 to Revelation 21 and 22. This writing also presents a pre-tribulation rapture. Again there are several views but the primary three are pre-tribulation, post tribulation, and mid tribulation. The pre-tribulation view states that God will rapture the church of Jesus Christ at any time (see the doctrine of imminence below) and before the beginning of the seven-year tribulation on earth which begins with the antichrist signing a peace treaty with the nation of Israel. (This is also seen as the seventieth week when God outlines His end time plan for Israel in Daniel 9:24-27) There are reasons many commentators and I myself believe in a pre-tribulation rapture but one of the main reasons is that the tribulation is primarily about God’s dealing with the nation of Israel both to purge it completely from all those who continue to reject Christ and to save the remnant both individually (Zechariah 12:12-14) and as a nation (Zechariah 13:8-9; Romans 11:26) when they welcome the return of Jesus Christ as Jesus stated in Matthew 23:39. Secondly it is about the nation of Israel fulfilling its purposes as prophesied in Genesis 12 and realized in the Millennial Kingdom (Isaiah 49:6) to be a light to the Gentiles to the whole world throughout the Millennial Kingdom. And, as said above, this is when God will fulfill all His promises made to the nation of Israel that have never come true in history. For those of us who subscribe to a pre-tribulation rapture and premillennialism we are not looking for any signs such as those outlined by Jesus in the Olivet discourse (Matthew 24- 25, etc.) because these signs refer to His second coming not the rapture. Those who advocate a pre-tribulation rapture believe in the doctrine of imminence, which means nothing has to happen before we are raptured as the church of Jesus Christ. Therefore, since He could take us up at any point we are exhorted to be watching and waiting not looking for signs but for the Lord Himself. This view is supported in Scripture and by the early church fathers through the first 300 years of church history. Through the writings of Augustine and the secularization of the church in the fourth and fifth centuries and following, amillennialism became the dominant view in the church especially the Catholic Church. Though the reformers made substantive changes to theology they did not make substantive changes to the doctrine of eschatology (means “last things” – end times) thus there are protestant denominations as well that advocate either amillennialism or postmillennialism.
How does the Millennial Kingdom (also called the Messianic Age) differ from heaven (also called the eternal state)? The Millennial Kingdom will consist of people in their natural bodies (all those saved during the Tribulation) that can and will reproduce children along with those of us who have been raptured (before the Tribulation) and are in our glorified, perfected, resurrected bodies. We in our resurrected bodies will be “kings and priests” and rule with Christ as He executes perfect justice and “rule with the rod of iron” (Revelation 2:27; Psalm 2:9). We will serve as priests by sharing the Lord with people (prayer, evangelism, teaching) and as kings in executing His justice. (Some commentators say that carnal Christians (saved but worldly – per 1 Corinthians 3:1-4) will lose their right to reign with Christ in the Millennium – See 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Hebrews 3:14; Revelation 2:26-27. Other commentators say all believers are overcomers and will rule with Christ. What may be a balance in these differing views is that the extent of a believer’s reign is based upon his faithful stewardship of the talents with which God entrusted him. (Luke 19:11-19) In this case all believers would reign but some would lose the full extent of their reign due to unfaithfulness.)
Those who enter the Kingdom in their natural bodies at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom will all be saved but their children (born in the Millennium) will have a choice to accept or reject Jesus. All those on the earth at this time (even though they may reject Jesus in their heart) will have to bow to His rule (a true Theocratic Kingdom). Although there are other differences in the Millennial Kingdom and heaven/the eternal state the major difference is there will be sin and death in the Millennial Kingdom whereas in the heaven/eternal state there will be no sin or death. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. (Isaiah 65:17-20) Compare this to heaven/the eternal state: “There will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) “But for the cowardly and unbelieving (all unbelievers in Christ are sinners) and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
[“A standard interpretation of this text (Isaiah 65:17-20) is that when Isaiah the prophet looks forward, even in sometimes thinking of the new earth, he stops short and thinks of the millennial kingdom. The millennial kingdom is almost a cross between the present era and the new earth in that sin, suffering and death will be greatly reduced yet still exist. If you think of the millennium as a literal thousand years at the end of the old earth, that would mean it’s still under the curse even though Christ is on the throne. That would explain why death still happens even though the world is a far better place. It’s still not perfect. We know there is still sin because there is rebellion at the end of the millennial kingdom and destruction of the rebels as mentioned in Revelation 20. The curse still exists and will exist until God brings to end this present earth and fashions the New Heavens and New Earth spoken of in Revelation 21-22.” Randy Alcorn – Read more: http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Mar/28/isaiah-6517-it-sounds-if-isaiah-saying-new-heavens/#ixzz3XKCXUdbc ]
There will be a renewed earth in the Millennial Kingdom which will be beautiful and fruitful. Isaiah 27:6 “In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout, And they will fill the whole world with fruit.” Amos 9:13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine and all the hills will be dissolved (and the hills will flow with it).”
There will be harmony with the animal kingdom. Imagine having a lion as a pet. Isaiah 11:6-9 “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”
There will be no wars or even instruments of war. Again, can you even imagine worldwide peace? Micah 4:2,3 “Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD (Jerusalem) and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares (plows) and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war.”
Jerusalem and the nation of Israel will be the praise of the earth. (Isaiah 62:7; Zephaniah 3:20) Saved Jews will be God’s main instrument of evangelism and discipleship. Zechariah 8:20-23 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts; I will also go.” 22 So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.’ 23 Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘In those days ten (Gentile) men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” Isaiah 2:2-3 “Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. 3 And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
Isaiah 49:6 “He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
The Millennial Kingdom will begin with the binding of Satan (Revelation 20:2) and end when Jesus casts him into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). Just before this Satan will be loosed and be given an opportunity to deceive all those who have rejected Christ in their hearts during the Millennium and gather them for a rebellion against Jesus Christ which Jesus quickly ends with fire from heaven which devours them all. (Revelation 20:9) Sadly the number of Christ-rejecting rebels who follow Satan will be “like the sand of the seashore” (Revelation 20:8). Satan and a third of the angels rebelled in heaven (Isaiah 14:12; Revelation 12:3-9) and Adam and Eve rebelled in a near perfect world (Satan was there to deceive) so all who reject Jesus Christ will rebel against God even when Jesus reigns physically and visibly over a near perfect world in the Millennium.
What are God’s main purposes for the Millennial Kingdom?
[1. “On May 14, 1948, those who clung to a literal Millennium and a literal Israel were proven right. And those who denied the Millennium and denied national Israel were proven wrong. Why is the existence of Israel crucial to the belief in a one thousand-year Millennium during which Jesus Christ will physically rule and reign over the earth from His Davidic throne in Jerusalem? For one reason: the Millennium is the time when Messiah will fulfill EVERY SINGLE promise He made to His people Israel.
In the Old Testament, God’s promises to His people for faithful obedience were very literal and very material. He promised them the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession (see Gen 12:1-7; 22:17 cf Numbers 26:52-56); He promised them material abundance and long physical lives on earth (Isaiah 65:17-23). But most of all they were promised that their Messiah would rule and reign over the nations among them on the throne of David in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Micah 4:1-5; Zechariah 6:13). The very nature of nature itself will be profoundly altered during this period, such that the wolf will lay down with the lamb (Isaiah 11:6; 65:25).
2. So why is Satan bound for a thousand years only to be released in Rev. 20? Just as God gives sinful man his chance to “have it his own way” during the Tribulation (my comment: this is when God allows the evil of man (Antichrist) to be in its zenith of power) in order to reveal in history that man simply cannot make it without Jesus Christ, so also does God give the human race in the Millennial Kingdom this “opportunity” to turn their backs on Jesus. By releasing Satan, God demonstrates in human history that as long as man has a choice – even with Christ physically ruling over him in Jerusalem – sinful man will always choose evil. The wicked always have an excuse for their wickedness; they claim now that God is not visible enough for them. But even when God is so visible He is literally reigning over them in Jerusalem for every human eye to see, they will still rebel against God the moment they have a chance to hear the devil’s lies. Sin is not the unfortunate result of poverty or our environment; it is the result of our fallen nature apart from Christ. And so even the Millennial Kingdom– as idyllic as it is compared with the world Christ just saved at the end of the Tribulation – is not ultimately adequate. We need the ultimate state of heaven where God will confirm us in our righteousness and where no Satan can ever tread. https://startthinkingright.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-millennium-why-will-christ-reign-on-earth-for-one-thousand-years/]
Although the earth will be renewed in the Millennial Kingdom both the heavens and the earth will be totally re-created for the eternal state according to 2 Peter 3:10. “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” Thus the eternal state as seen in Revelation 21-22 begins just after Satan is cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10) and God then recreates heaven and earth. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4) “There will no longer be any curse.” (Revelation 22:3)
O Israel,”Who can heal your wounds, they are as deep as the sea?”
The One Who walked on water, He alone can overcome the sorrows of Zion’s daughter.
The mystery of your history lies deep in the heart of God;
In the end He will transcend the grief-laden road you trod.
God’s Word written, preserved by you.God’s Son, Messiah, descended through you
God’s church begun, established by you
O Israel, Thrice thank you, thank you, thank you— you have truly blessed the nations;
At the Hand of David’s Son we await your restoration.
Kristen Sykes – July 2008
SUMMARY OF SCRIPTURES DESCRIBING THE MILLENNIUM (Predominantly found in the OT Prophets) http://www.preceptaustin.org/the_millennium_3.htm
A. Physical characteristics
1. Topography and geography of the earth changed- Is 2:2-note; Ezek 47:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12; 48:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20; Zech 14:4, 8, 10
2. Wild animals tamed- Is 11:6, 7, 8, 9; 35:9; Ezek 34:25
3. Crops abundant- Is 27:6; 35:1, 2, 6, 7; Amos 9:13; Zech. 14:8
4. Human longevity increased- Is 65:20, 21, 22, 23
B. Spiritual and religious characteristics and events
1. Satan confined in the abyss – Rev 20:1, 2, 3 2. Millennial temple built – Ezek. 40:5-43:27 3. Animal sacrifices offered as memorials to Christ’s death – Is 56:7; 66:20, 21, 22, 23; Jer. 33:17,18; Ezek 43:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27; 45:13-46:24; Mal. 3:3, 4 4. Feasts of the New Year, Passover, and Tabernacles reinstituted – Ezek 45:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25; Zech 14:16, 17, 19, 19, 20, 21 5. Nations worship in Jerusalem – Is 2:2, 3, 4; Mic 4:2; 7:12; Zech. 8:20, 21, 22, 23; 14:16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
6. Worldwide knowledge of God – Is 11:9; Jer 31:34; Mic 4:5; Hab 2:14; Ps 22:27, 67:1,2, 72:19, 86:9, 98:1, 2, 3 Zech 14:8,9 Rev 11:15; 15:4
7. Unparalleled filling of and empowerment by the Holy Spirit on Israel – Is 32:15; 44:3; Ezek. 36:24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29; 39:29; Joel 2:28, 29
8. New Covenant with Israel fulfilled – Jer. 31:31, 32, 33, 34; Ezek 11:19, 20; 36:25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
9. Righteousness and justice prevail – Is 9:7; 11:4; 42:1, 2, 3, 4; Jer. 23:5
C. Political characteristics and events
1. Israel reunited as a nation -Jer 3:18; Ezek 37:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
2. Israel at peace in the land – Deut. 30:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; Is 32:18; Hos 14:5, 7; Am 9:15; Mic 4:4; 5:4, 5a; Zech 3:10; 14:11 16
3. Abrahamic Covenant land-grant boundaries established – Gen 15:18, 19, 20, 21; Ezek 47:13-48:8, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
4. Christ in Jerusalem rules over Israel – Is 40:11; Mic 4:7; 5:2b
5. Davidic Covenant fulfilled with Christ on the throne of David – 2 Sam 7:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16; Is 9:6, 7; Je 33:17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26; Am 9:11,12, Lk 1:32, 33
6. Christ rules over and judges the nations – Is 11:3, 4, 5; Mic 4:2,3a; Zec 14:9; Re 19:15
7. Resurrected saints reign with Christ – Mt 19:28; 2Ti 2:12; Rev 5:10; Rev 20:4 (note)
8. Universal peace prevails – Is 2:4; Is 32:17,18; 60:18; Ho 2:18; Mic 4:2, 3, 4; 5:4; Zec 9:10
9. Jerusalem made the world’s capital – Jer 3:17; Ezek 48:30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35; Joel 3:16, 17; Mic 4:1, 6, 7, 8; Zech 8:2, 3
10. Israel exalted above the Gentiles – Is 14:1, 2; 49:22, 23; 60:14, 15, 16, 17; 61:5, 6, 7, 8, 9
11. The world blessed through Israel – Mic 5:7
D. Events following the Millennium
1. Satan released from the abyss – Rev 20:7
2. Satan deceives the nations – Rev 20:8
3. Global armies besiege Jerusalem (Rev 20:9a)
4. Global armies destroyed by fire (Rev 20:9b)
5. Satan cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:10)
6. Evil angels judged (1 Cor 6:3)
7. The wicked dead resurrected (Dan 12:2b; Jn 5:29b)
8. The wicked judged at the Great White Throne – Rev 20:11, 12, 13, 14
9. The wicked cast into the lake of fire – Rev 20:14, 15; 21:8 (Adapted from Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor or Logos)